Some Good News For The Golf Industry?

Dan Piller of the Des Moines Register talks to Todd Gray, SVP of Wells Fargo's financial leasing business who says "golf, as an industry, is healthy. It's just become more competitive."

"Golf is a lagging economic indicator," he said. "Whatever the economy is doing, golf will feel it the next year. If people feel less economically secure, they'll be less likely to put out money for a club membership or want to play at more expensive daily fee courses. If they're feeling flush, golf will benefit."

Gray's perspective comes from calling on more than 4,000 golf courses across the nation, selling and managing Wells Fargo's leasing credit business under which courses lease their fleets of mowers and turf equipment, as well as golf carts.

His frequent and lengthy trips around the country are hard on his own 12-handicap game, but give him a perspective on the health of the business, he said. Gray recently completed a five-week stint for the U.S. Golf Association helping members become more business savvy.